Innovative Synthesis Strategy of a Highly Efficient Amorphous FeS/Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Hybrid Catalyst via the Sulfur Migration and Confinement Effect for an Enhanced Fenton Reaction

The emerging amorphous structure of metal nanomaterials as catalysts has revealed enormous potential; yet, their application is hindered by limited synthesis methods. In this study, we developed a facile strategy for synthesizing an amorphous FeS/heteroatom-doped carbon hybrid material as a highly efficient catalyst. Leveraging sulfur migration at high temperatures and the confinement effect provided by a hyper-cross-linked polymer (HCP), we achieved one-step carbonization and heterogeneous catalyst fabrication. The HCP offers multiple benefits and synergistic effects, serving as both a sulfur source and confinement matrix, attributed to its exceptional designability, structural stability, and cost-effectiveness. The resulting amorphous structure exhibited superior catalytic performance in the Fenton reaction compared to crystalline structures. Furthermore, the formation process and mechanism of this amorphous catalyst are extensively discussed. The reasons behind its exceptional catalytic efficiency in the Fenton reaction were also explored, suggesting that the acceleration mechanism of heteroatom-doped carbon may stem from its remarkable capacity for accepting and transferring electrons. This work has developed a novel and facile strategy for preparing amorphous FeS/carbon hybrid materials and offered valuable insights into optimizing the efficiency of the Fenton reaction for wastewater treatment and beyond.